Valeria’s Gift

Patient collaborates with physical therapist to create original artwork for Sports Medicine gym at Texas Children’s Hospital. 

At first, Valeria wasn’t really a fan of physical therapy.

“When I started coming to the Sports Medicine gym at Texas Children’s, I wasn’t very motivated to do the exercises,” remembers Valeria. “It was very hard work, and I was pretty averse to pain in general.”

At 13 years old, Valeria was diagnosed with Osgood-Schlatter disease (OSD), a condition that causes a painful bump and swelling on the shinbone below the knee. OSD is an overuse injury that can require physical therapy to strengthen leg muscles and improve flexibility while a child recovers.  

“There’s a lot of pain,” said Valeria. “I wasn’t able to run, or jump. I love swimming, but I wasn’t able to swim. At the same time, I didn’t like the pain of physical therapy, so it took longer to heal.”

For the next four years, Valeria simply coped with the intermittent symptoms. She stopped her treatment—in part because of her family’s concerns about exposure risks during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Valeria is now 17 years old, and she has gained a new appreciation for the value of physical therapy. With the return of her knee pain last January, she started seeing her physical therapist — Dmitry Chan, PT, Ph.D., a Board-Certified orthopedic clinical specialist who has worked for the Orthopedics & Sports Medicine Program at Texas Children’s for the past nine years — and his encouragement, enthusiasm and expertise motivated Valeria to approach the exercises with a new sense of commitment.

“It’s been amazing,” said Valeria. “It used to be hard for me to run, walk upstairs, swim—it even hurt if I sat in one place for too long. Now, with Dr. Chan’s help, I feel like my knee is so much better.”

The artwork

“One day, Dr. Chan noticed me drawing, and he asked to see some of my artwork,” said Valeria. “He told me about his idea to create a picture for the gym that would inspire kids and give them hope.”

“Valeria is an amazing artist,” said Chan. “We collaborated on the design, and she really brought the picture to life. As a sports therapist, I see children who are hurt and often at their lowest points; it’s so inspiring to see their passion and resilience and to help them get back to doing what they love to do. I wanted Valeria to create something that would inspire them, a work of art that would represent all different kinds of athletes and give them something to relate to.” 

Valeria’s picture represents an athlete doing a Y-balance test, wearing a knee brace and sporting gear from a variety of athletics. It’s a playful, inspiring picture based on her own experiences.       

“I donated the picture to the gym at Texas Children’s so that Dr. Chan can share it with other patients,” said Valeria. “When they see the picture, I hope they can see themselves in it and know that they’re not alone.” 

Sports Medicine at Texas Children’s

The Texas Children’s Hospital Orthopedics & Sports Medicine program cares for infants, children, teens and young adults, treating everything from minor fractures and sports injuries to complex disorders and congenital conditions. Ranked No. 7 in the nation by U.S. News & World Report, the Orthopedics & Sports Medicine program includes a comprehensive array of care for chronic sports injuries, concussion, exercise-induced asthma and other conditions affecting sports performance. The program works in collaboration with pediatric emergency medicine, pediatric cardiology, pediatric neurology, pediatric pulmonary medicine and pediatric regional anesthesia.

The team of therapists is dedicated to one-on-one attention for every patient to achieve the best possible outcomes. Facilities include a 28,500-square-foot center at Texas Children's Hospital West Campus that features advanced equipment and state-of-the-art technology to rehabilitate athletes and help them return to competition. In addition to Texas Children’s Hospital West Campus, the program offers specialized care at the Texas Medical Center, Texas Children’s Hospital The Woodlands, Cy-Fair, Sugarland, Kingwood, Clear Lake and now Texas Children’s Hospital North Austin. Its world-renowned care team includes specialists in multiple programs:  

1. Orthopedics
2. Fracture Program
3. Sports Physical Therapy 
4. Musculoskeletal Radiology
5. Sports Concussion Program
6. Motion Analysis and Human Performance Laboratory
7. Sports Nutrition

 “Texas Children’s has one of the best Sports Medicine programs in the nation,” said Chan. “It’s such an honor to help patients like Valeria on their journeys of healing and recovery. All of us are incredibly grateful for her donated artwork — we know it will be an inspiration to other patients.”

Learn more about the Orthopedics & Sports Medicine Program at Texas Children's Hospital.